Galatians 6:2 – Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.

We find in the Scriptures that there are eleven different words that are translated by our one English word “burden.” This means that there are different kinds of burdens that you will face. There are some burdens that you can share and there are other burdens that you must bear alone and you cannot share them with anyone. Now burdens are something that we all have in common. All of us have burdens. Not all of us have wealth, but we all have burdens. Not all of us have health, but we all have burdens. This word for burden means “something heavy.” Let me illustrate this for you. A man boarded a train with a very heavy suitcase. He sat down beside an old man, placing his suitcase in his own lap. After noticing his discomfort, the old man said, “Sir, if you would put that heavy suitcase down on the floor you would find that the train would carry both you and your load!” You see, there are burdens that you can let others bear with you and burdens you can assist others in bearing. By doing this, you fulfill the law of Christ, which is to love your neighbor as yourself.

Challenge:

Most times we just want to take care of things on our own and not bother anyone else. Under most instances this works out just fine. We see a job that needs to be done and we complete that task with no help whatsoever. But there will always come a time when you cannot handle a situation on your own and you must reach out to ask for assistance. During these times, you need to come to the realization that you cannot do everything on your own. Neither does the Lord expect you to. This is why the verse for this week is so important. Do you have people in your life that you can count on, to be there for you, in your time of need? Those individuals that, no matter the circumstances, are always eagerly willing to lend a hand. Your challenge for this week is to keep an eye out for those moments when you are called upon to help someone out. For instance, when a mom needs you to watch her children for the afternoon so she can get some last minute Christmas shopping done. Rather than wrapping presents all by yourself invite some friends over to wrap gifts together while enjoying some laughs and fellowship together at the same time. Be sensitive to the opportunities that may be right in front of you to help someone. and also to ask for help so you will not become overwhelmed this week. May your week be filled with times of sharing one another’s burdens. God bless you.